The British Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Western Balkans paid a visit to the MoND

On Tuesday, January 30th, State Secretary for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, had a meeting with the British Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Lord Stuart Peach.

The two officials discussed the security situation in the Western Balkans and the Black Sea region, emphasizing the strategic importance of the two regions, as well as the close connection between them.

Lord Peach conveyed his appreciation for Romania's efforts at operational level in the Western Balkans, highlighting, in particular, the excellent level of cooperation between the Romanian and British soldiers in KFOR.

The Romanian State Secretary emphasized the national commitment to maintaining a stable and safe environment in the Western Balkans, materialized through the substantial participation in EUFOR Althea and KFOR.

Romania's robust participation in the NATO KFOR Mission and the EU EUFOR Althea Operation makes us one of the main troop contributors in the Western Balkans, a clear expression of our commitment to stability in the vicinity of Romania, which complements Romania's support for the Western Balkans states’ accession to EU. We will continue our efforts in this direction," the Romanian official said.

At the same time, the Romanian State Secretary pointed out the important role of the South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM), an initiative whose chairmanship is held by Romania. He emphasized that this format brings together countries from the Black Sea region, from the Western Balkans and the Southern Europe, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation in order to minimize vulnerabilities, manage challenges and ensure a stable security climate.

The Press Office